Vietnamese Catholics celebrate the Day of the Sick at the shrine of Tapao

Phan Thiet (AsiaNews) - More than ten thousand pilgrims visited the Marian shrine of Our Lady of Tapao, in the diocese of Phan Thiet on 11 February, to celebrate with a solemn liturgy the World Day of the Sick and pray for the sick and disabled. Vietnamese Catholics have a great devotion to Mary. In the early days of the Year of the Dragon, many pilgrims from different parts of Vietnam gathered in Tapao, accompanying sick and disabled and elderly people who have gathered around the shrine of the Virgin to ask God's blessing for the new lunar year.

Ms Mai, who pushed his mother of 74 in a wheelchair, told AsiaNews: "We had wanted to visit the shrine of Our Lady of Tapao for a long time. My mother can not enter the church, but from the square we can recite the rosary and pray to the Virgin Mary. "

Mr. Phu, 67, who lives in Ca Mau said: "My wife and I have long wanted to visit the shrine, but there were no conditions to do so. However, today we participated in the Mass for the sick at the shrine of Our Lady of Tapao. We prayed to God and to Our Lady that we may be healed, spiritually and physically. " Many patients and their relatives wept as they listened to the prayers of the priest celebrating the Mass and asked Our Lady to heal and help people living in difficult circumstances.

Mr. Khuong, who lives in Ho Chi Minh city, and suffers from a tumor in his neck, confides: "I keep thinking I'm about to die. I am very afraid, but today, after receiving the anointing of the sick, I felt a great peace in my mind, to tackle the disease, and hope in divine providence. "